Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994phdt.........5e&link_type=abstract
PhD Dissertation, Arizona State Univ. Tempe, AZ United States, 302 p.
Mathematics
Logic
1
Mars Surface, Sedimentary Rocks, Aeolian Tones, Wind Effects, Sands, Albedo, Mars (Planet), Wind (Meteorology), Planetary Geology, Dunes
Scientific paper
Aeolian processes on Mars are active under modern climate conditions. This dissertation examines windblown sand on Mars and includes the discovery of Martian star and linear dunes plus the first review of terrestrial volcaniclastic dune occurrences. Data used here include spacecraft images, aerial photographs, and thermal infrared observations of dunes and desert surfaces on Mars and Earth. Mars dunes have low albedos (less than 0.15) and consist of sand that is probably coarser-grained than typical terrestrial dunes. Martian dunes and low albedo surfaces occur in regional groupings. Low albedo regions experience the strongest seasonal winds (during southern summer). Intermediate and high albedo regions exist where the wind is less-strong and dust can accumulate on the surface. Large intracrater dunes in the Hellespontus region illustrate the effect of the present global wind regime. During southern summer, winds from all directions converge on Hellespontus and are expressed in the form of relatively large, thick, low-albedo dunes. The effects of local winds are illustrated by the rare occurrences of star dunes which form by projection of transverse dunes into a topographically-influenced multidirectional wind regime. Mars sand is probably composed of non-quartz materials such as mafic lithic fragments, plagioclases, pyroxenes, and glass. Terrestrial volcaniclastic dunes are compositional analogs to Martian dunes; one such dune field, the Shifting Sand Dunes of Christmas Lake Valley, Oregon, was studied because of its Mars-like composition and setting. Examination of a multispectral thermal infrared image of the Shifting Sand Dunes provides compositional information, which in turn highlights the possibilities for using such data for interpretation of Martian dunes in the future. Aeolian dunes on Mars have great potential as tools for further investigation of Martian aeolian processes, climate, crust composition, and geologic history.
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